My Latest Europe Trip: The Best Of

Cudillero, Spain

Having just returned from a month in Europe only a couple of weeks ago, I've lately been raiding my camera (a Nikon D3100 if anyone is interested, which I would recommend) and I've put together a collection of my favourite photos. Beginning in Paris for 5 days, we then headed to Spain for a week, and Portugal for 12 days, before jumping on an MSC cruise which took us to Cannes, Barcelona, Ajaccio, and Naples, to name a few. Here are a few gorgeous snaps I managed to capture before we got on that dreaded 24-hour flight home. 

A Holy Grail Base

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that the only foundation I used to swear by was Nars Sheer Glow.  Well times have changed, and Estee Lauder's Double Wear has got my makeup-loving heart skipping a beat. 

What's the time, Mr. Paul?

what i'm lusting after

My shopping addiction has been getting out of hand recently, even more so than normal.  One of my favourite things is discovering gorgeous new pieces and incorporating them into my wardrobe.  We're coming into summer in Australia now and with the weather heating up, I've been spending way too much time perusing online for pieces that will serve me well in the warmer months.  These are some that may just sneak into my online shopping cart.

The Best Of Italy

 Florence, Italy

Travel posts are my favourites to put together and seeing as my 'The Best of Europe' post was so popular, I decided to create a bit of a series where I showcase some of my favourite photos of some of my favourite countries post by post. Get ready for Italy, France, Ireland, England, Greece and maybe some more. Today's picturesque location is Italia.

A Brand New Skincare Love

Mario, Mario, Mario. You know the way to a girl's skincare loving heart.

Saving Face

Giorgio Armani's Si EDP

I've upped the ante with my fragrance choices of late. While I still love my beloved Miss Dior, I've strayed from it a little of late, opting for a more mature, chic fragrance. The product of choice of course being Si by Giorgio Armani and Mr Armani, I am impressed.

Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque

Move over Harry Styles, this is the latest love of my life.

The Best Body Scrub Ever?!?!

New Additions To The Beauty Bag

As I've said in my Rediscovering New Favourites post, I'm a little bit naughty in that I buy a whole heap of makeup but fall into a rut using only the same small selection of products on a regular basis. The same blush, bronzer, foundation, contour, eyeshadow palette, the list goes on.....  Recently though I've been throwing a few new things into my beauty bag and trying to use them more frequently. I've fallen in love with some of these gorgeous products, they've become regular make up staples and I thought I'd share them with you guys. 

The Best of Europe

Feeling a little nostalgic last night I decided to take a trip down memory lane and have a snoop around some of my favourite photos I've taken in some gorgeous locations across Europe.  Seeing as some of my travel posts have been the most popular, I thought I'd share with you guys some of my favourite photos from my travels. While I'm no professional photographer (this is probably very evident!) I do love to have a camera in my hand if I'm exploring somewhere new. Enjoy! 

The Lip Butter Making Me Forget All Lipsticks

There's a multitude of reasons as to why I've never given many tinted lip balms a try before. Many don't give enough hydration, some I'm not a fan of the colour but the main reason is I'm just too much of a lipstick gal at heart.  I'm not sure why but I've always sort of gravitated towards Korres and when I discovered it was a Greek brand I was all the more sold.  On one of my regular trips to Mecca on Friday I picked this baby up and I can now call myself a tinted lip balm fan.  

Why I Love Nars Sheer Glow

Up until around this time last year I'd always struggled to find a foundation that I absolutely loved. There was always something wrong with the ones I'd tried. They offered too much coverage, not enough coverage, the wrong skin shades, a texture that I didn't love... The list goes on. Some broke me out and others even made my skin look even worse than it actually was. I'm fairly fussy when it comes to base makeup, I believe that a good foundation is absolute key to gorgeous makeup. I looked up and down for a foundation that gave the look of flawless skin while still looking dewy and fairly natural. Nars Sheer Glow was the foundation I'd been looking for all along. 

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil - Worth The Hype?

In typical me fashion, I was late to the party on this one.  With the amount of hype surrounding this product just about everyone and their dog has tried this, but seeing as how slack I am when it comes to brows it is no surprise I was until last week an Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil virgin.  Normally I slap a bit of powder (Urban Decay's Buck is the shadow of choice) through my eyebrows and leave them looking shabby and simply not their best. Walking past Mecca Cosmetica recently I bit the bullet and purchased the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette. As I'm typically lazy with my eyebrows, I was looking for something that was quick and easy, yet guaranteed me fiercer, tidier, and all round improved eyebrows. Did this product disappoint? I think not. 

Evening Skincare Routine

To the horror of many of you, I used to be incredibly slack when it came to taking care of my skin.  I would sleep with makeup on, I was ridiculously lazy with products, I wasn't giving my skin time to breathe and heal and it was certainly starting to show. Times have changed though and I now look forward to doing my nightly skincare regime.  Since then I've found a whole heap of products I absolutely adore that work wonders for me that won't be neglected anytime soon.

Top 3 Spring Nail Polishes

I can't believe we're already nearly a month into Spring. While the weather is still being a little temperamental, the days where the sun has made a cheeky little appearance are making me so excited for the warmer months. While Autumn and Winter are my favourite seasons, and those seasons host some of my favourite trends - berry lips, tartan, ankle boots.. The list could go on... I still do adore Spring and Summer and do throughly enjoy cracking out brights, pastels and everything in between. Pinks and oranges are a nice change from deep reds and berries and I feel in these seasons we can be a little more experimental when it comes to the brighter end of the colour spectrum. 

Top Four 'Can't Live Without' Lip Products

Lipsticks, tints and glosses are all well and good, but if you're lips aren't in tip top condition you won't get the best out of them. Many of us suffer from chapped, dry, flaking lips and having just experienced winter in Australia I know that feeling all too well. While chapped lips are ridiculously annoying and uncomfortable, they also have the ability to make you love your lipstick a little less. As disgusting as it sounds, products have a tendency to cake around dry areas of skin and often don't look as luscious as you first hoped. Don't despair though, there are a whole heap of products on the market to help combat uncomfortable chapped lips that won't cost you an arm and a leg. So to find out how to get that $10 Rimmel looking a little more like a $50 Chanel, keep on reading. 

My Pick of the Naked Palettes

Rediscovering Old Favourites

I have a tendency to fall into a rut with products I use, I rarely mix it up and I end up neglecting a whole heap of products that I do genuinely love purely because there are others within arms reach. I tend to stick to products that I know work for me and I don't venture away from those favourites too often. In an attempt to mix up my make up a little bit, I've recently rummaged through my makeup drawers and rediscovered some products that I used to (and still do now) adore.